---
title: "MLB Lockout Looms as Labor Deal Nears Expiration"
url: https://www.herewashingtondc.com/2026/10/31/mlb-heads-toward-lockout-labor-deal-dec-1-expiration/
date: 2026-10-31T08:53:24-04:00
modified: 2026-10-31T08:53:24-04:00
author: "HERE City National Desk"
categories: ["National", "Sports"]
site: "HERE Washington DC"
attribution: "HERE Washington DC"
---

# MLB Lockout Looms as Labor Deal Nears Expiration

*Source: [HERE Washington DC](https://www.herewashingtondc.com/2026/10/31/mlb-heads-toward-lockout-labor-deal-dec-1-expiration/) — October 31, 2026 by HERE City National Desk*

*From the HERE City National Desk*

NEW YORK — With the World Series over, Major League Baseball now turns to a labor fight that could delay the 2027 season. The collective bargaining agreement between team owners and the players union runs out at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 1, and the league is widely expected to lock players out once it does.

The biggest gap is over money. Owners want a salary cap paired with a minimum payroll floor, arguing it would give fans in smaller markets a fairer shot. The union has said it will not accept a cap.

This year’s payrolls show the spread the league points to. The New York Mets spent more than $346 million, while the Cleveland Guardians spent less than $75 million. Yet the four teams that reached the league championship round ranked second, 19th, 28th and 30th in spending.

MLB has also floated a 154-game schedule in place of the current 162, adding a weekly off day, and lengthening the Division Series to seven games beginning in 2029. Drug testing and in-game microphones for players are on the table as well.

Until Dec. 1, the offseason runs as usual, with awards in November and free agents free to sign. Once a lockout starts, trades and signings stop and clubs cannot contact players on their 40-man rosters.

The current deal was signed March 10, 2022, ending a 99-day lockout that wiped out spring training but still allowed a full 162-game season.